News

PVMC to provide technical support services for advanced PV manufacturing

Portland, Oregon-based SoloPower Systems announced today that it is
collaborating with the U.S. Photovoltaic Manufacturing Consortium (PVMC)
as a strategic technology partner. Under the agreement, PVMC will
provide specialized technology services to SoloPower Systems to develop
thin-film solar.

SoloPower Systems’ CTO Chris Eberspacher said, “Our collaboration
with PVMC will accelerate the commercial manufacturing ramp-up at
Systems’ factory in Portland, and will further support the continuing
advancement of our products. We look forward to this partnership which
will not only expand our thin-film production capabilities, but also
serve to ensure SoloPower™ technology remains the leader in this
exciting market.”

“We are excited that interest in the U.S. Photovoltaic Manufacturing
Consortium continues to grow, further supporting PVMC’s mission to power
the research, development, and deployment of sustainable, solar
energy-focused solutions,” said Chief Operating and Technology Officer
of PVMC Dr. Pradeep Haldar. “We welcome SoloPower to the consortium
where they will be able to tap into advanced solar energy research and
expertise to enable high-tech innovation, which continues to be fueled
by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s commitment to developing next
generation, clean energy technologies.”

Created as part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s SunShot
Initiative, PVMC has extensive experience and know-how in
photovoltaic technologies, including roll-to-roll copper indium gallium
selenide (CIGS) PV technology, in both research laboratory and
industrial production environments. CIGS-based thin-film uses layers of
semiconductor materials that are only a few micrometers thick; the
materials can be deposited on solid or flexible lightweight substrates,
offering capabilities that are more versatile than traditional solar
panels. This technology could also prove to be more cost-effective to
produce in high-volume.

PVMC is also developing roadmaps and standards to forge industry
consensus and address broad issues related to power electronics, module
advancements, building integration, testing, and reliability.
Additionally, it offers a proving ground for innovative solar
technologies and manufacturing processes.

About SoloPower Systems:

SoloPower Systems is a photovoltaic technology company specializing
in the design, manufacture and deployment of CIGS flexible thin-film
solar technology. Further information about SoloPower Systems can be
found at www.SoloPower.com.

About PVMC:

The U.S. Photovoltaic Manufacturing Consortium (PVMC), headquartered
in New York State, is an industry-led consortium for cooperative R&D
among industry, university, and government partners to accelerate the
development, commercialization, manufacturing, field testing, and
deployment of next-generation solar photovoltaic (PV) and building
integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) systems. Through our technology
programs, advanced manufacturing development facilities, system
demonstration, and reliability and testing capabilities, PVMC is a
proving ground for innovative solar technologies and manufacturing
process as well as PV product development and deployment. Further
information about PVMC can be found at www.uspvmc.org.